


The ground trembles beneath my feet (And I have learnt to accept the cracks)

by TheSoggySchuyler4



Series: We Walk This Earth United [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Implied Relationships, Kid Skye | Daisy Johnson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:01:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23375830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSoggySchuyler4/pseuds/TheSoggySchuyler4
Summary: How Skye Coulson became Quake and saved the world.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Series: We Walk This Earth United [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638472
Comments: 7
Kudos: 102





	1. Part 1: The Surveillance Room

They had three weeks of peace before Fury called. Phil and Mel had spent most of that time doing everything in their power to prove to Skye that they would never hurt her, never send her back. When the phone rang, Skye jumped in her seat, knocking her glass of water all over the floor and table. She instantly burst into tears, and Mel rushed to comfort her. Phil took the call.

“We need you back.” Fury announced abruptly. Phil sighed and moved into his and Mel’s shared office, where Skye wouldn’t be able to listen in and make her own wrong assumptions about the call.

“You said a month, minimum.” He pointed out half-heartedly. Neither had actually expected Fury to stick to his offer, but it was still worth pushing the point. The extra week could be beneficial to Skye.

“I said, a month unless something comes up. Something came up. I need you back.”

Phil closed his eyes briefly.

“Just me, or Mel too?” He asked reluctantly.

“May in field; You working back end.” There was a pause and then, “You took her on, Phil. I need you here picking up the pieces. You’re her SO now.”

Phil glanced back at the file on his desk. The one labelled ‘classified’, with the picture of a young red-headed teen clipped to the front. Natasha Romanoff.

“I can come in tomorrow. We need to find arrangements for Skye.” Phil offered.

“Phil, she took down three of my best agents because they startled her. I need you back, now. Bring the girl with you for all I care.”

There went their afternoon plans. Phil didn’t bother waiting for Fury to say goodbye. The man hated them, and much preferred to hang up with the words unsaid. He headed back into the kitchen, where Mel had managed to calm Skye enough that she could clean up the mess. Skye peered up at him, her face red and swollen from crying.

“Are you sending me back? Was that the orphanage?”

Phil immediately shook his head, running a hand through his daughter’s hair.

“Definitely not. It was mine and Mel’s boss. He wants us to go back to work.”

Skye shifted, her demeanour changing as she instantly brightened. Phil wasn’t sure if it had been his insistence that she wasn’t going anywhere, or the mention of their jobs as agents, but he was glad to see her so cheerful again. Mel finished up and came over, looking slightly concerned.

“Something wrong?”

“Nah,” Phil shook his head, keeping his tone carefully bright, “Just a little incident I need to sort out. He mentioned he has a mission for you though. Not sure what. Ah, he wants us in ASAP, so Skye, you’ll have to come with us if that’s okay?”

Skye beamed at him.

“Awesome.” She pronounced and ran to get her shoes on.

* * *

In the end, May took Skye. They’d discussed it at length in the car, whilst Skye bobbed along to whatever trashy kids’ music she’d selected for her headphones. Natasha was a known flight risk, and she’d reacted badly to grown agents who could, to some extent, deal with her. There was no telling what she’d do with Skye there. It was a risk neither of them was willing to take.

May led Skye quickly through the corridors, taking detours where she could to avoid other agents. Skye didn’t seem to mind, chatting happily away, though May had long since lost the thread of the conversation.

“Where are we going?” Skye asked suddenly. They stopped in front of a security door, and May reached for her ID, suddenly wondering what exactly Skye was going to be exposed to once inside. She had no idea what this mission entailed, and briefings could sometimes be gory in detail.

“I’m going to a mission briefing,” May explained, looking around for an agent she recognised and trusted. Ah, Dr Laura Mitchell. Perfect.

“Ah, Laura!” She called. Skye perked up as she recognised the doctor from her first visit here. Laura hurried over, looking surprised but pleased to see them.

“Agent May. Skye! Hello again. Are you feeling better?” Laura asked, as Skye nodded eagerly

May shifted.

“Laura, I know it’s short notice, but would you mind taking Skye for a little bit? I’m supposed to be in a briefing but- “

Laura smiled genuinely, though her eyes showed May that she had understood her meaning.

“I’d love to hang out with Skye for a bit. That okay with you sweetie? You can help me with my own mission.”

Skye’s mouth fell open.

“I can go on a mission?” She asked, bouncing on her toes. May smiled and slipped away. She was quite certain that Laura and Skye would be just fine.

* * *

Laura led Skye to one of the smaller surveillance rooms. She was technically supposed to be doing inventory for the medical ward, but it wasn’t essential work, and she knew Skye would have found it dull. The look on Skye’s face when she saw all of the computers was definitely worth the extra hours she’d have to do later.

“They’re so shiny, Laura.” Skye stage whispered. A couple of agents glanced over, but they didn’t seem especially bothered by Skye’s presence, so Laura figured it was probably okay. She spotted a spare computer in the corner and smiled.

“Hey, you want a go?”

Skye shifted nervously, looking at the computer with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

“I never used a computer before. We aren’t allowed technology at the orphanage.”

Laura blinked, making a mental note to let May and Coulson know about this as soon as she saw them again. What eight-year-old child had never used a computer before?

“What about in your foster homes?” She asked carefully. There was no telling how Skye might react to mentions of her previous carers. It was obvious that few, if any, had been kind to the girl. Skye shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

“Dunno.” She answered stiffly.

“Okay, well let’s get you set up then.” Laura said, forcing herself to sound cheerful, instead of like she might cry. The poor girl. She was lucky to have May and Coulson now. They would make sure she got the life she deserved. She led Skye over to the computer, scanning her own ID so the system would let Skye use it. Her own clearance was low, so she had no worries about Skye accidentally seeing something she shouldn’t.

Skye clicked a couple of buttons experimentally, looking delighted when something happened on the screen. She grabbed the mouse from Laura and began messing around, giggling quietly as she did so. Laura smiled softly and checked her phone. She needed to be aware of when May was finished and wanted her daughter back.

“Hey! Kid! Cut it out.” Someone yelled, and Laura glanced up, frowning at Skye’s computer screen. She had managed to change the background image to that of two animated deer chasing a butterfly. It was adorable, but Laura wasn’t sure why everyone else seemed so frustrated. Then she glanced up at the main screen and her mouth fell open. Skye hadn’t just changed her own background. She’d changed all of them. Every screen in the whole room was now showing an animation of two deer and a butterfly. Skye merely giggled. It was obvious that she hadn’t realised what was wrong, although she seemed to be at least somewhat aware of why the guy was yelling. Laura frowned.

“I thought you said you’d never used a computer before?” She asked, wondering why Skye would have lied about it. The little girl looked confused.

“I haven’t. It’s just really easy.”

Laura stared at Skye, gobsmacked. She had heard of kids being generally better at technology because they were young, but nobody was this good.

“Could you change it back sweetie? I think these agents need to get on with their work.”

Skye nodded slowly and clicked a couple of keys, releasing the screens. Laura let out a sigh of relief and hoped that nobody would murder her for letting Skye near a computer. Her phone buzzed and she got up, logging Skye out before the kid could do any more damage. She pretended not to notice the glares of the other agents.

“C’mon sweetie. Your- May is finished. It’s time for you to go.”

Skye looked disappointed.

“D’you think Mel and Phil will let me use their computer at home?” She asked. Laura shrugged. She was sure May and Coulson would be perfectly willing… right up until Skye actually got her hands on technology and they realised how dangerous that was.

It would be entertaining to see.


	2. Part 2: The Fight

Skye was in big trouble. She fidgeted in her seat, trying not to look Mr Jones in the eye. He seemed intimidating, and she was pretty sure he’d start yelling, or maybe even hit her, if she dared look up. She had only started at this new school a month ago- just after Christmas- and she just knew Mama and papa would be upset when they found out that she was already in trouble.

“We couldn’t get through to her parents.” Mr Lehn announced, coming into the room. He was a thin balding man who reminded Skye of her dad, if it wasn’t for his awful sneer. Papa would never look that cruel. Not even with bad guys. Mr Jones sighed, flicking through what Skye assumed to be her file.

“Miss Coulson, can you think of anyone else that we could contact?” He asked finally, “There are no emergency contacts in here.”

Skye sighed and rattled off the first number she could think of. Nick Fury would definitely yell at her, but he would also be sure to clear the air between her and the school. Maybe she wouldn’t get into too much trouble. She peered down at her knee and the few pinpricks of blood spotting up from the graze. It stung a lot, but she knew better than to complain. They would just say that she’d deserved it, for hitting those horrid boys.

“Hello?” Mr Jones asked, opening his mouth to speak to Nick, “I was calling to-“

_“How did you get this number? This is a direct private line.”_

Skye winced at Nick’s booming voice; so loud that she could hear it from where she was sitting. She’d forgotten that the number was in case of emergencies. Nick was going to be so mad now.

“Ah, this is Mr Jones? From Frank L Smart Intermediate School? I’m calling about your…” Mr Jones trailed off looking expectantly at Skye. She merely shrugged, staring at her scuffed shoes. “I am calling about Skye Coulson. She gave me this number.”

_“Skye gave it to you? What happened to her? Is she alright?”_

Mr Jones seemed to shrink in his seat.

“S-She is the one in trouble… Sir. Ah, Skye had an altercation with two of my eight graders. They both claim that she started the-“

_“I’ll be right there. Hill! I need a Quinjet, stat!”_

There was a beep, and Mr Jones slowly lowered the phone, looking stunned. Skye studied the cuts on her knuckles and pretended not to notice the teachers watching her. She knew they were curious about Nick, but she didn’t want to give an explanation in case Nick arrived and tried to give a completely different one. He certainly wasn’t old enough to be her grandad, but Mr Jones had met her parents before, and was unlikely to believe that Nick was an uncle either.

* * *

Fury burst through the door just less than half an hour later, looking about as intimidating as he could possibly be. His eyepatch was on full display, and he wore all black, glaring furiously at the teachers. Hill slid in behind him, giving Skye a concerned look. Skye managed a small smile and shrank into her seat, waiting for Fury to explode.

“Just _what_ is the meaning of this? Have you even asked Skye for her side of events? Where are these other boys, for that matter? Are they in trouble too? You’d better hope that they are, for your sakes.”

Mr Jones quivered behind his desk, and Mr Lehn muttered an excuse before hurrying out. They had both gone very pale.

“M-Miss Coulson has not said a word since the incident, sir.” Mr Jones managed hesitantly. Nick raised an eyebrow as Skye frowned. That definitely wasn’t true. She’d tried to explain what had happened, but they’d just told her to be quiet.

“Skye? Talk to me.”

“Um,” Skye glanced over at the teachers, who seemed to be glaring at her, then back at Nick and Hill, “The bigger boy took Yasmine’s headscarf, so I asked him to give it back. He tossed it to the other boy, and they wouldn’t give it, so I did what Mama and Natasha taught me.”

Nick’s eyebrows shot up and he whirled back around to Mr Jones.

“Have you asked this Yasmine for her side of events?” He questioned.

“Ah, no.” Mr Jones began, glancing wistfully towards the door, “Yasmine Nasir was sent back to class, sir.”

Nick frowned.

“This is what’s going to happen. I am going to take Skye to get ice cream. You are going to properly question those two pathetic bullies, as well as Yasmine. Once you have determined who is at fault, and how you will be dealing with the situation, you can call Hill. I hope to never hear from you again.”

Nick strode out of the office, and Skye scrambled to keep up with him. She was vaguely aware of Hill handing Mr Jones a piece of paper, before she too was heading out of the office.

* * *

Ice cream was tense. Skye had never known something so delicious to be so tense. Nick and Hill were both silent, and Skye couldn’t even tell if they were angry or not.

“What do you want to do with your life, Skye?”

Skye blinked at Nick, trying to decipher his strange question. She thought about the computer suite at school, and how much fun she had with it, even if the tasks were boring and way to easy. She thought about how fun it was to train with Natasha and Mama. She thought about how much she loved Shield.

“I want to be an agent. To protect people.”

Hill looked up from her phone, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“It seems you’ve already got one aspect nailed.” She pointed out, typing something in. Skye flushed.

“I broke the rules though. Shield agents have to follow the rules.” She’d lost count of how many times Mama and Papa had told her that; an explanation for why they couldn’t just help that person or save another. Skye hated hearing those words. Nick looked at her.

“You have heart, Skye. _That’s_ what Shield is about, not following orders blindly. You know, your parents are annoyingly good at breaking those ‘rules’ themselves. Clint and Natasha too. Why do you think they’re some of our best?”

Skye stared at him.

“Really?”

Neither of them answered her, both standing up simultaneously and giving her a look.

“We won’t mention this to your parents.” Hill told her, handing her a bus pass and a few dollars.

“Don’t lose that spirit, Skye. You’ll need it.” Nick added. They began to walk away, and Skye whirled around to face them, but they’d already vanished. Typical. Skye glanced at the bus pass and sighed, heading towards the nearest stop. Super spy agents were very annoying family members to have, but she loved it anyway.


	3. Part 3: The Stake-out

“It’s just a movie.” Natasha explained, as Skye pulled on her shoes and coat, eyeing her friend curiously. Natasha was a master of deception, so there was no way of knowing if she was telling the truth. Her parents looked equally suspicious, especially when Clint waved from the driver’s seat. With those two together, something was bound to go wrong.

“What film?” Dad asked, phone in hand, presumably to check that the film was age appropriate. Skye sighed. She was fourteen, which meant she didn’t look old enough to sneak into most 16+ films but was too old to want to see kids’ things. Natasha and Clint were bound to have picked a good movie though. They had similar tastes to her.

Natasha rattled off the name of a film that Skye had never heard of, ushering her towards the car as she did so. Skye strapped in cautiously, fiddling with the pen knife in her pocket. Mom had given it to her for her birthday, and since then, Skye had taken it everywhere with her. She liked having something that connected her to her mom, which also happened to keep her safe, just like mom always did. Natasha got in a moment later, and Clint immediately slammed down on the accelerator, spinning out of the drive before Skye could even consider waving goodbye to her parents.

“Yeah, so we aren’t going to see a movie.” Natasha announced. Skye narrowed her eyes.

“I figured. What’s up?”

“Clint and I are on mission. Supposed to be intercepting a package delivery at Merchant Park not far from here.”

Skye rolled her eyes, instantly recognising the name. Merchant Park had been built with the intent of being a safe place for kids. Mom and dad had brought her there a couple of times after they’d moved, but the whole place had felt wrong to Skye. Too many stuffy, self-entitled parents, and their equally spoilt kids.

“You have to bring a kid to get in,” Skye recalled, “But, the guys you’re looking for… They’ve got a kid with them?”

“Supposedly,” Clint answered, passing her a photograph “Anja Lewis, twelve-years-old.”

The kid was obviously younger than twelve in the photo, though Skye doubted it was recent. She had curly blonde hair, brown eyes and pink glasses. Skye wondered if she was a threat, or just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“She’s the daughter of one of our targets,” Natasha explained, twisting in her seat to face Skye, “Jacob Lewis. Science teacher at the local elementary school. We haven’t been able to confirm his involvement yet/ It’s possible that our main target was threatening Mr Becker through his daughter, hence the location, and the need for Anja’s presence.”

“Okay,” Skye murmured, “So what’s the plan?”

* * *

Skye really did dislike Merchant Park. The concept was a good one, but the only people who came here were the rich kids who no one liked- the ones with helicopter parents- and, apparently, criminals looking to threaten a man via his daughter. Skye had spotted Anja almost at once. She was sat on the bench between a man and a woman, both obviously trying to look inconspicuous.

“I need you to keep out of the way when everything goes down, Skye.” Natasha reminded her. They picked a bench within sight of Anja, and Skye licked her ice cream.

“What are you going to do about Anja?” She asked thoughtfully. Clint reached over and dug his finger into her ice cream.

“Hey! Stop it!” Skye laughed, attempting to grab it back. Clint grinned at her, lowering his voice as he spoke.

“If all goes to plan, we’ll let Jacob grab his daughter before we intervene. He should hopefully get her away to safety.”

Skye bit her lip.

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Hey, Skye? Don’t worry about it, okay?” Natasha spoke up, pulling her into a one-armed hug and giving her a smile that was probably fake. “Anja will be absolutely fine.”

Skye jumped as someone nearby yelled. Five men converged on their location. Skye leapt up, backing away.

“Skye,” Clint called, retrieving his bow, “Grab Anja and get to-“

One of the guys threw a punch at Clint’s head. Skye dropped her ice cream, wincing as half of it melted onto her hand. She sprinted towards Anja, dodging one of their attackers. Five on two. She didn’t like those odds. She mentally took in the situation. Six targets in total. Thankfully, they were far enough away from the playground that Skye didn’t think any kids were at risk. Except Anja, of course. Oh, and Skye herself. She tried not to think about that.

Anja’s two guards spotted her before she reached them, rushing towards her in sync. Skye recalled her training. Slash to the leg with her penknife. Two punches to the chest. Shove to the ground. She whirled to face the woman. Legs. Face. Flip kick. Knife.

“Skye! Behind you!”

Skye felt the air shift behind her as the second guy swung his fist in her direction. She ducked and barrelled forwards, throwing the man off balance. The man let out a stunned groan and toppled backwards. Skye punched him again in the face and he went limp.

“Anja, this way!” She called, grabbing the girl’s hand and taking off. Anja whimpered, glancing back.

“They’re trying to kill us.”

Skye wrinkled her nose.

“I hope not. My mom will definitely ground me if I die out here.”

She winced as the woman recovered and began chasing after them. A bullet shot past them and Anja screamed.

“I don’t want to die!”

There was a cry, and then a soft thud. Skye glanced back over her shoulder and faltered. The woman was on the ground, an arrow through her throat.

“Skye, c’mon let’s go. Nat’s rounding up the targets.” Clint barked, coming up beside them. Anja began to cry, desperately wiping at the tears and her running nose.

“You’re safe now, Anja.” Skye assured her, “I promise.”

* * *

“Five out of seven guys.” Skye read, frowning at the report.” You could have got all of them if I hadn’t been there. I only knocked out one guy.”

“Two,” Natasha corrected from the doorway. Skye glanced over in confusion. “I don’t think you even realised, but you quaked that other guy to the ground. He went down hard.”

Skye grimaced.

“I shouldn’t have used my powers. It’s dangerous.”

Natasha shook her head, placing a hand on Skye’s shoulder.

“Skye, what you did today was incredible. You took out two grown assailants and walked away without a scratch. That’s impressive even for an actual agent, nethermind a fourteen-year-old girl. This coming from someone who was trained to kill from birth? You will make an exceptional agent one day.”

Skye shuffled her feet and tried to contain her smile.

“We’re definitely not telling mom and dad about this though, right?”

Natasha laughed, glancing over at Clint, who was tending to a gash on his cheek.

“Absolutely not. They would murder us where we stood.” She joked, and pulled Skye into a hug.


	4. Part 4: The Offer

May kept her emotions hidden, not wanting Skye to realise how much this was bothering her.

“You dropped out of school.” Her voice was empty, void of any telling inflections. Skye bit her lip, as if torn between acting defensive or apologetic.

“Technically, I just stopped going. There’s a difference.” She muttered awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

“Can you even legally do that?” Phil asked, looking devastated, “Can she do that? She’s not legally an adult yet. Don’t we get to decide?”

May grimaced.

“Legally, it’s not our choice. She’s seventeen.”

Phil looked as if he might cry, and May didn’t feel far behind him. How could Skye have done this? She was so smart, so brilliant. She was just throwing away her future needlessly. It had come out of nowhere. Skye had said nothing about it at all, and then suddenly her school had rung up to ask where Skye had been, and the whole mess had come tumbling out.

“Look Skye, nobody likes school, but you have to go.” Phil tried. Skye shook her head.

“I don’t. I just- I can’t do it anymore. I can’t pretend that I-“

“You can’t get into Shield academy without finishing school, Skye.” May interrupted, hating that tears began to tumble down Skye’s cheeks.

“I know but it’s- I just-“

“I thought you wanted to go to Shield academy? To do your computer magic?” Phil asked, glancing helplessly over at May. She shook her head slightly. Neither of them had seen this coming. Skye seemed to flinch slightly.

“Not- it wasn’t computers. I-“

May waved her hand and Skye trailed off.

“Look, Skye. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to finish school. We’ve let you get away with a few things over the years, but this isn’t acceptable.” She announced firmly. Phil stepped forwards.

“I’d like you to go up to your room whilst your mom and I talk this over.”

Skye wiped away her tears and strode away without another word.

May placed a shaky hand on Phil’s shoulder as they watched her go.

“She just _quit_ school.” Phil spoke into the stunned silence. May sighed.

“I just don’t know how to get through to her.” She agreed glumly, resting her head on Phil’s shoulder.

* * *

Skye cried herself to sleep. She was fairly sure she hadn’t had a panic attack, but breathing was difficult. The house was quiet when she woke up again, and her parents had left her a note. Skye took it with shaky hands.

_Skye,_

_Phil was called in for a meeting. I have gone with him, to give you a chance to think things over._

_Mom x_

Skye reminded herself to breathe, fetching a glass of water and downing it quickly. She moved to refill it, but her hands were shaking so much that the glass slipped, crashing noisily to the floor. Skye yelped and stumbled back. She bent down, desperately trying to gather up the glass shards. It stung horribly, but she knew it would be worse if mom found out she’d broken another piece of crockery. She was already in trouble, anyway.

“Put down the glass before you seriously hurt yourself.”

Skye started, releasing the glass she had gathered.

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

“You’re supposed to be in school.” Nick pointed out, “Though it sounds like you’ve decided against that.”

Skye winced, standing up to face the former Shield Director.

“You don’t have to lecture me,” She told him, “Mom and dad already covered that.”

Nick handed her a damp cloth and led her back into the living room.

“I’m not here to lecture you, Skye. I’m here to listen.”

Skye scoffed.

“Nobody ever just wants to listen.” She bit back angrily.

Nick gave her a pointed look, and she shuffled her feet. Part of her just wanted to blurt out everything she was thinking and feeling, but her parents’ reaction from earlier held her back. She had never seen them that angry. Not once. They hadn’t let her explain what was going on. They just blamed her. Told her to _do better_ , be a better person. To try again. It was useless. _She_ was useless.

“I don’t regret dropping out of school.” She insisted. It was true, after all. There was very little point in her finishing school. She was failing most of her classes already. She didn’t need to see her parents’ disappointment when she handed them her stupid, useless results. Nick settled himself in one of the armchairs, watching her expectantly.

“I’m not good at school,” Skye tried to explain, “I never have been. I just sort of… floated through. Just barely okay enough to make it to the next year.”

“You’ve had a difficult education path, Skye.” Nick reminded her calmly, “The education you received from the nuns was severely lacking in most areas. It’s no surprise that you’ve struggled to keep up.”

Skye shrugged a shoulder.

“Mom and dad tried to help but it’s like there’s a block in my head, and the information just won’t stay put. I- um… I never wanted to have to ask for help on stuff I was already s’posed to know. They’d already covered that topic, y’know? I didn’t want to have to make them go over it again.” She blinked suddenly, annoyed that Nick’s tactics of getting her to open up had actually worked.

“You dropped out because you didn’t want to ask for help.”

Skye shook her head furiously.

“I dropped out because I was failing most of my classes, and there just didn’t seem to be a point in trying anymore. It was way too late for asking for help. And I’m- I’m _glad_ that I did. I wanted to. It wasn’t an impulsive decision. I’d been thinking about doing it for months. I made a decision.”

“Seems to me,” Nick spoke up, “That you seem pretty upset for someone who claims to be glad about their decision.”

“I _am._ ” Skye insisted, glaring.

“Why are you upset, Skye? It’s a simple question.”

Skye sat down, eyes flickering towards the pictures above the fireplace. She’d cried when mom and dad had first hung them up. Pictures of her, crammed between them, beaming like she was on top of the universe.

There was another one, tucked out of sight in case of civilian visitors, with Skye wearing her mom’s Shield jacket and proudly clutching the access badge Nick had given her. She’d just celebrated her first birthday with her parents, and Nick had presented her with the badge, informing her that it gave her access to all bases as long as she was accompanied by a selective group of trusted agents. It was Skye’s favourite photo, and she’d always imagined the day when it could be joined by another one, with her wearing her own Shield jacket, clutching her very own Agent’s badge.

“I- look, I know the rules about Shield Academy, okay? I know I have to have graduated High school and gone to college to get in. I guess I’m upset because I can’t be an agent anymore. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

Nick chuckled, and Skye’s eyes flickered over to him in surprise. That was not the reaction she had anticipated.

“You don’t need to go to the academy to be an agent, Skye.”

Skye frowned at him. People had been telling her all about Shield Academy her whole life. How it was the way forwards. The way to be an agent of Shield.

“Skye, Shield has wanted to snatch you up for years. It’s written in your file that as soon as you turn eighteen, Shield will try to recruit you as an agent. You’re an asset.”

“Because of my powers.” Skye realised, slumping slightly. Nick shook his head firmly.

“No, because you represent everything Shield values. Skye, do you remember when your school called me because you’d been in a fight?”

“Yeah. I was so scared you’d yell at me.”

Nick’s mouth twitched slightly.

“I asked you what you wanted to be when you were older, and you told me- “

“-That I wanted to be an agent. Yeah, I remember.”

He shook his head, leaning forwards to look at her properly.

“You told me that you wanted to protect people. That’s what Shield is about.”

Skye shifted in her seat.

“Okay?”

Nick almost looked frustrated, as if she wasn’t understanding what he was trying to say.

“What about that mission Natasha and Clint took you on?”

“Natasha said I’d make a good agent one day, ‘cos I managed to take down two guys.”

“No. Natasha thought you’d make a good agent,” Nick explained, “Because throughout the entire mission, all you cared about was keeping people safe. You made sure Anja was going to be safe before doing anything else. Made comforting her a priority as you got her to safety.”

Skye stared at him in shock.

“Seriously?”

“Skye, you will make an incredible agent of Shield. You are brave, kind, resilient. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t good at school, or that you won’t go to the academy. Frankly, you’ve already been trained more efficiently and more successfully than nearly every one of those academy recruits. Or have you forgotten who your family is?”

Slowly, hesitantly, Skye began to smile.

“I can be an agent of Shield?”

“Just as soon as you turn eighteen.” Nick confirmed, placing a hand on her shoulder. Skye beamed at him. God, she loved her family so much.

* * *

Skye was waiting by the door when May opened it, already tense at the thought of having to debate with Skye again. She noted, to her relief, that Skye looked a lot less miserable than she had earlier. Part of her wondered just which family member had spoken to their little girl, and somehow, she hoped they had been able to change Skye’s mind.

“I’m not going to quit school.” Skye burst out. May raised an eyebrow in surprise, eyes flickering towards Phil, who looked equally shocked.

“That’s…good? Any reason?”

Skye shrugged, letting them come in properly. She was fiddling with her hands, which indicated that she was nervous.

“I’m not going to pass all of my classes. I-I’m really awful at science, and I was never going to succeed at English. I guess… I guess I just thought that I was failing most of my classes anyway, and there wasn’t much point in trying anymore.”

“Let me guess,” Phil spoke up, a knowing glint in his eyes, “Someone showed up and reminded you why finishing school is a good idea, no matter how badly you think you might fail.”

May squinted at her husband, wondering what he knew that she didn’t. She was surprised to see Skye shake her head.

“He didn’t. I decided to keep going on my own. I’m not good at school. I know that. You know that. All of my teachers know that. But I have to finish. I don’t want to be the kind of person who gives up this close to the end. Nick, he- He just reminded me what kind of a person I am. I am _not_ the kind of person who gives up.”

May and Phil glanced at each other, surprised but pleased by this change of heart. They both despised fighting with Skye, and they had felt so hurt when they’d found out what she’d done. May knew Skye had probably assumed that they were angry with her, but they weren’t. She was probably angrier with herself, for not knowing how to best help her little girl. For not having realised that something was wrong.

“Besides,” Skye added with a sly grin, “I still have a while before I turn eighteen and get recruited b\y Shield. Might as well make the best of that time.”

“What did you-“

“Hang on, Say that agai-“


	5. Part 5: The Meeting

Skye tried not to fidget with her new dress, but it was difficult. She was used to tight fitting uniforms, not this flowing gown and heels. It was custom made for her, though, and she felt like she owed Pepper to at least wear it tonight, at their annual Christmas party. She grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the trays and glanced around in awe. Tony and Pepper had really outdone themselves with the decorations this year. The whole place was stunning.

“Skye! You made it.” Skye glanced up as Natasha and Clint came rushing over, both uncharacteristically dressed up. Skye snorted.

“How many weapons are you hiding in that thing, Nat?”

Nat grinned and shrugged.

“Depends on what you count as a weapon.” She answered slyly. Clint looked horrified.

“You told me you came unarmed…”

Shaking her head in amusement, Skye slipped away. She could talk to Nat and her brother for hours, but there were plenty of guests here that she hadn’t seen in ages, and all the avengers would still be here once most of the guests were gone anyway.

“Skye! Have you seen Peter around anywhere?” Skye gave Tony a funny look.

“Who’s Peter?” She asked, wondering if Tony had already had too many drinks.

“Oh! My intern. You two haven’t met yet?” Skye shook her head slowly and Tony sighed dramatically. “Ah, I’ll have to introduce you. You’d get on like a house on fire.”

He bustled off again before Skye could reply and left her standing there.

“Fancy seeing you here.” Skye whirled around, her face lighting up.

“Mom! Dad! I thought you couldn’t make it this year?”

“And I thought the legal drinking age was 21.” Mom retorted, staring pointedly at Skye’s glass. She flushed and handed it over.

“Tony doesn’t really mind, mom.” She murmured. “Besides, I’ll be 21 in a few months.”

Dad groaned and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Please don’t remind me how quickly my baby girl has grown up.”

“More importantly,” Mom jumped in quickly before her dad could get too overemotional, “Steve is looking for you. I think he wanted to talk to you about something?”

Mom and dad both looked concerned, but Skye grimaced. She had been avoiding Steve (and the other avengers, just in case) for this very reason. Skye had been an agent of Shield for almost two years, and she knew Steve was eager for her to become an avenger. He’d hinted at it before, but she’d always evaded the conversation. As much as Skye loved the avengers, she could never see herself being one. They were too mainstream, taking on the big fights. Skye preferred to work in the shadows. To help those who often slipped through the cracks.

“Keep him off my tracks, will you? I’d like to enjoy the party a bit longer before I have to go and let him down gently.”

Something glinted in her dad’s eyes.

“Steve is coming onto you?” He asked, looking torn between being protective, and being thrilled. Skye wrinkled her nose.

“God no! He’s way too old for me. No, he just has an offer for me, but I’m going to turn it down. I’m not interested.”

Mom raised an eyebrow at that, making to ask more questions, but fell silent, looking at something behind Skye. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and silently groaned. Of course Steve had heard that.

“I haven’t even asked you anything for you to say no to yet.” He pointed out, voice light and teasing. Skye briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning to face him.

“Steve, you’ve been hinting about making me an avenger for years. I’m not stupid. I knew this was coming.”

She ignored the quiet gasps from behind her. Mom and dad were probably extremely confused now, but she’d just have to explain things to them later. Steve seemed to deflate.

“You’d be a good fit. You’ve even got your own superhero name, Quake.” He offered, looking rather like someone had kicked his puppy. Skye smiled sadly at him.

“I’m meant to be an agent, Steve. I’m not good at all _this_ stuff. You know, grand parties and publicity, and large-scale missions that end up in the news. I can help people more from the shadows than I ever could under the public’s watchful eye. I’m sorry Steve. I don’t want to be an avenger.”

Steve watched her for a moment, as if trying to work out whether or not she was being genuine. After a pause, he slowly removed his hand from her shoulder, and nodded.

“I’ll admit that I’m disappointed I couldn’t win you over, Skye. Know that there’s always a spot for you if you want it.”

Skye smiled genuinely at him. They both knew she’d continue to visit the Avengers’ tower in New York whenever she had a chance. Her brother and Nat were here, after all. Besides, she loved seeing all the crazy ideas Tony had come up with since their last chat.

“As if you could get rid of me.” She teased gently. She turned away, spotting some of her friends from Shield over in the corner and headed over.

* * *

Steve kept the smile on his face until he was sure that Skye wasn’t going to turn back around, and then he let it fall away. He had really hoped that she’d say yes. Skye would complement the team perfectly, and he knew she would have been the perfect person to replace him if he ever thought about retiring.

“She say no?” Tony asked, coming over. Steve glanced back at agents May and Coulson, who were both pretending not to be shocked. Apparently, their daughter’s actions were a mystery to them too. Steve nodded glumly. There was, of course, the other aspect of his and Tony’s bet. Who could get their protégé onto the Avengers first. To his relief, Tony merely sighed.

“Yeah,” Tony muttered, “I asked Petey-boy again, but he turned me down. Still has his heart set on looking after the little guy.”

Steve felt his eyebrows shoot up.

“Really? Skye’s response was almost identical.” He remarked, shooting a look in Skye’s direction. She had somehow acquired another glass of champagne and was goading her friends into a complicated looking drinking game. Agent May and Coulson seemed to notice her behaviour at the same time and rushed to remedy the situation. Tony looked fascinated.

“They would make an explosive pair.” He commented, seeming almost gleeful. “I’ll have to introduce them.”

He darted off before Steve could say another word.

* * *

Skye pulled her coat tighter around her, wishing she’d thought to wear more layers before she set out. The shop was quite a bit further away from the avenger’s tower than she’d anticipated, and she could already predict that she wouldn’t make it back in time for dinner. She typed out a quick text to Clint, letting him know that she’d get something whilst she was out, and quickened her pace. This area wasn’t awful, in comparison to some of Skye’s missions, but she wouldn’t want to get caught out alone here late at night.

She checked the directions for the shop again and frowned. This whole thing was turning out to be far more complicated than she’d expected. A few months ago, Skye had managed to track down a pristine set of vintage Captain America cards for her dad as a Christmas present. A few of them were so rare that no other copy had ever been released. Skye had gone to a lot of trouble to get her hands on them. The problem was that she’d been so busy with missions, that she’d had no time to make her way to Queens and actually collect them. Today was her last chance, since she was driving back home first thing tomorrow, in time for Christmas Eve.

“Hey, gorgeous. Lemme buy you a drink” Skye glanced over at the heckler, a red-faced balding guy whose slurred words suggested that he’d already had far too many drinks for his own good.

“No thanks.” She called back, side stepping to avoid him. The man scowled.

“Now what’s a pretty thing like yourself doing turning down a decent offer like that?” Skye faltered slightly at the sight of three more men rounding the corner. They were all large, muscular figures, with intimidating glares. Skye’s eyes flickered to the emblem on their leather jackets. A gang of some kind, then, though she didn’t know which one.

“Sorry,” She muttered, looking for a quick escape route, “But I have places to be, and you’re in my way.”

One of the men cracked his knuckles, and they stepped forwards, as if to surround her. Skye subtly placed a hand on her ICER. She jumped slightly as there was a loud crash from the nearby alleyway, and a costumed figure swung into view.

“I think the lady already said no.” Spiderman drawled, dropping down between Skye and the gang.

“What’s it to you?” One of the men snapped, looking nervous. His friend suddenly darted forwards, as if to grab Skye, and she reacted.

The men were easy to fight, especially with spiderman there. He spun into action just a fraction after her, swinging a kick at one of the men, and aiming a web at another. Skye took down her own opponent easily, pressing hard onto one of his pressure points. The man screamed in pain and cowered on the floor. Skye kicked him in the balls for good measure. She looked up at the fourth and raised an eyebrow, daring him to try and grab her. The man whimpered slightly and bolted. Skye snorted. Coward. She frowned at the other three. One was stuck to the wall, whilst the other two were down on the ground.

“I’m not interested.” She told them calmly. Spiderman coughed and she glanced over to him.

“You must be Spiderman. I’m Skye Coulson, or Quake. Whichever.” She held out her hand, and Spiderman shook it firmly, looking impressed.

“I’ve heard that name around the tower,” He commented, removing his mask, “You’re Clint’s little sister?”

Skye smiled at him.

“That’s right.” She wrinkled her nose at the men. “Walk with me? I really did have somewhere I need to go.”

Spiderman nodded and they set off at an easy pace. She couldn’t help noticing that he was trying to stick to the shadows, presumably to hide his identity.

“Here, you can borrow my coat if you like. That way you don’t have to hide.” She shrugged it off and handed it to him, ignoring how cold she was. Spiderman smiled pleasantly.

“Thanks. My real name’s Peter by the way, if you were wondering.”

Skye grinned.

“Tony’s intern Peter? He mentioned you at the party last Friday.”

“It’s a cover,” Peter explained, “So I have an excuse to go there and do training. I mean, I do technically work for Stark Industries, but not-“

Skye merely chuckled. She could already tell that Peter was someone she would get along well with.

“You don’t know if there’s a comic store around here, do you? I’m supposed to be collecting a gift for my dad, but I think I’m probably lost. My phone has no signal.”

Peter looked curious, nodding and gesturing down one road.

“There’s one not far from here. I used to visit with my uncle before he died.”

Skye didn’t bother apologising. She could tell from his tone that one wasn’t necessary, or even wanted.

“Show me?”

* * *

They walked in relative silence, Peter occasionally making jokes, or telling her random facts about the area. She answered a couple of questions that he had, and shared embarrassing stories about the avengers in return. Peter threw his head back and laughed when she told him about the mission Nat and Clint had taken her on.

“You were fourteen! Is that even allowed?”

Skye giggled and shrugged.

“I always got the impression that it was actually a test, but I’ve never asked.” She responded easily. Peter shook his head in amazement.

“You’ve known those guys way longer than I have.” He commented in surprise.

“I know,” Skye responded, “It’s actually really odd that we’ve never crossed paths before, considering.

Peter looked thoughtful.

“I guess we were just fated to meet then.” He burst out, putting on an exaggerated English accent. Skye snorted and wiped at her tears of mirth.

“Oh,” he said suddenly, pointing out a shop, “We’re here. Shall we?” He held out his hand and she grabbed it, yelping in surprise and amusement as he suddenly pulled her. Peter was way stronger than she had expected, not that she minded. Meeting Peter was one of the best things that had happened to her in a really long time, and she certainly wasn’t complaining.


	6. Part 6: The Idea

Skye sighed in contentment and curled up in Peter’s lap. They were both lounging at the Avenger’s tower, a film playing on mute in the background.

“This is nice.” Peter chuckled. He’d known Skye for less than a month, and they’d only actually met up twice in that time, but he could already imagine getting used to this. Skye was incredibly tactile and seemed to get a lot of comfort out of hugging or cuddling up with people. Peter really had no complaints. Skye was awesome, and he’d be an idiot to reject a pretty girl sat in his lap. Skye wrinkled her nose at him.

“You’re making fun of me.” She accused, resting her head on his shoulder. Peter grinned

“Nah. You’d probably kick my ass if I did that.” He teased gently. Skye made to retort, faltering as Natasha and Steve rushed into the room. The super soldier gave them a funny look.

“You two know each other?”

Skye raised an eyebrow, shifting slightly to be more upright.

“No. I just decided to lie on a total stranger Steve.” She deadpanned. Peter stifled a laugh, pulling her back towards him. He already missed her warmth. Steve frowned at the sarcasm, even as Natasha waved an impatient hand.

“Not interested. We have a mission. You want to join, Spiderman? Quake?”

Peter glanced questioningly down at Skye. Whilst they had been texting on an almost constant basis since they first met, neither had really gone into a lot of detail surrounding their involvement in the avengers. Skye gave him a look and subtly shook her head.

“I said no, Steve. I thought we were done with this.”

Steve looked uncomfortable.

“I told them that, but they didn’t really want to listen.” He admitted. Natasha rolled her eyes.

“Quinjet leaves in five if you’re interested.” She snapped, striding off before either of them could reply. Steve hurried after him without a second glance back at them. Skye waited until they were fully gone before groaning loudly and sinking properly back into Peter. He sniggered, though curiosity still itched at him. Was Skye really that against the Avengers? Seeing his look, Skye made to explain.

“Ever since I met them and they found out about my powers I guess they just always assumed that I’d join them when I was old enough, or when I got sick of Shield, maybe. They didn’t exactly take it well when I said no.”

Peter nodded thoughtfully. He could imagine how tough it would be if your family was constantly pressuring you into something like that, especially from such a young age.

“Why don’t you want to?” He asked cautiously. To his relief, Skye didn’t seem in the slightest bit put out or offended by the question.

“I know the Avengers are the good guys, and the things they do really help in the end, but when I was a kid, I saw how vulnerable people were treated… forgotten, ignored, blamed. I just- I always wanted to help _those_ people, and the Avengers never felt like the answer. They’re too big picture, y’know?”

Peter lit up, realising how similar their views were. Sometimes he really wished they could have met earlier. He would have liked to know Skye when they were kids. The things they could have done together.

“That’s what I’ve always said! I can do so much good protecting people on the streets as Spiderman! Way more than I could as an Avenger.”

Skye smiled softly at him, her eyes widening in realisation.

“We should team up! Be like, um, not _baby_ avengers but-“

“Avengers that look after the little guy.” Peter finished, sitting up straight and looking at her with a new appreciation, “That sounds incredible.”

Skye beamed.

“Let’s do it.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I mean it. I mean, my dad’s the director of Shield. I could persuade him to give me a Quinjet or something, and we could just travel around, helping people.”

“That sounds like a- wait, your dad’s the director of Shield?”

Skye snorted, grabbing her phone. She clicked a couple of things and brought up an obviously old picture of her with who Peter assumed to be her parents.

“I forgot you didn’t know that.” She admitted. She put her phone away before he could sneak a look at any other photos she might have stored on there. “Hey, I have some friends in Shield that would definitely be willing to help out if we asked.”

Peter nodded thoughtfully.

“We’d be Shield based, then?”

Technically, he wasn’t actually a Shield agent, but Skye would probably insist on them fixing that. She shrugged lightly.

“They could provide us with supplies and stuff that we couldn’t have access to otherwise. Besides, with Shield keeping half an eye on us, we don’t run the risk of going rogue or something.” She teased softly. Peter grinned at her. If there was anyone he wanted to team up with, it was definitely Skye. This was going to be amazing.

* * *

“You want to form your own Avengers.” Skye winced at her dad’s tone. It was the one that he’d picked up from mom over the years, where it was almost impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“We want to help the little guy,” She explained hesitantly, “And we thought this would be a good way of doing it. Peter and I have powers, but we never wanted to use them for huge battles. You remember how I always just wanted to help people, right? This would allow us to be more independent, whilst still helping people.”

Dad raised an eyebrow.

“You have a team. I thought you were fond of them?”

Skye suppressed a groan at the thought of her current Shield team. They were good agents, sure, but half of them disregarded her on the basis of being the director’s little girl, and the other half underestimated her because of her age. They were all far older than her, and strongly felt that skill came from experience. There was also the fact that she never went to the academy.

“This team would be people my age. I was- I thought maybe Jemma, and that boy she’s friends with, Fitz? They’d be such a good fit, and it would give them experience of field work without being too dangerous.”

Sighing, her dad put down his papers and regarded her seriously.

“You really want this? You won’t change your mind?”

Skye shook her head furiously.

“I swear dad, I want this. It’s exactly what I always dreamed of doing.”

He stared at her for a long moment.

“I’m going to give you your team, Skye,” He announced finally. Skye lit up and struggled not to bounce up and down in her seat, “But, I have a few conditions.” Skye slumped slightly. When her dad gave conditions for things, it usually meant that it would be so restrictive she’d regret asking in the first place.

“Alright.”

“Firstly, your team will follow missions given by me for the first month at a minimum until either myself or your mom determines that your team is capable of working independently. Secondly, Peter Parker will need to go and collect his official Shield badge. I don’t want you working with a non-Shield agent on your team.”

Skye sat up.

“Really? You’re actually making him an agent just like that? That’s amazing!”

Her dad shot her a look and she fell silent.

“I’ll assign Fitzsimmons to your team, but I also need you to another agent of my choosing. Grant Ward.”

Skye opened her mouth to protest, then paused.

“Wait, Grant Ward? The kid they found in the woods?”

Her dad sighed and placed a file down in front of her.

“I seem to remember telling you bits and pieces about him at the time, but this is the full file. “

“Yeah, I remember. You figured out where he was and saved his life. Wasn’t he adopted by Hand?”

Dad tapped a finger to the file.

“It’s all in there Skye. I do expect you to read that… but yes, Grant was adopted by Victoria Hand and Isabelle Hartley. He’s a good agent. I know he’d make a good fit for your… what are you calling yourselves?”

Skye grimaced. She and Peter had debated for a while, but neither of them could think of a good name yet.

“We’re working on it.”

“Well, whatever you decide, you’ll need a base to work from.” Dad found another file and put it in front of her, along with a set of keys. Skye eyed them suspiciously. “I’m handing you the BUS. You deserve it, Skye.”

Skye nearly fell out of her seat.

“Really? Dad, that’s amazing! Thank you so much! You’re the best ever!” She paused, taking the keys and frowning at them. “Mom said the BUS didn’t have any keys.”

Dad snorted slightly, his eyes flickering to the frame of his wife and daughter that he kept permanently on his desk.

“I had them made just to irritate her.” He explained, laughing at Skye’s expression. She shot out of her seat and pulled him into a tight hug.

“I love you, dad.” Skye whispered. Dad sighed contentedly.

“I love you too, angel eyes. Now go on. You’ve got a team to gather. I expect to see you off on your first mission by the end of the week.”

Skye beamed and picked up the files. She was nervous about leading a team, but her dad believed in her. She knew she could do this, with Peter’s help. They’d be just fine, and she couldn’t wait to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though, what should Peter and Skye's team be called? I honestly have no ideas.


End file.
